This invention relates to a rotary orbital sander, and more particularly to a rotary orbital sander that is adapted for use with a vacuum source.
It is known in the art relating to rotary orbital sanders to combine a sander and a vacuum to pick up particles of sanding waste that are loosened during the sanding process. Such prior art sanders, however, lack sufficient suction to draw particles from a significant distance from the vacuum (e.g. at the outer edge of the sander). Moreover, the vacuum simply blows internal particles rather than drawing them away from the sanding means and floor.
It is also known to balance orbital sanders using a counterbalance weight located in the plane of the unbalanced sanding rotor. However, placement of the balance weight requires a special design of sanding pad assembly.
The present invention provides a rotary orbital sander that solves the disadvantages of the prior art sanders by providing a suction housing that connects with a vacuum source such as a conventional shop vacuum. The suction housing is adjustably sealed to a unique sanding pad assembly having a plurality of radially extending suction channels connected with inner and outer annular channels. The suction channels draw air and sanding waste into the channels through holes in a sanding pad aligned with the annular channels so that loosened particles under the sanding disk are readily drawn through the channels into the suction housing and out a vacuum hose. The sanding pad assembly may also include side suction channels at the peripheral edge of the sanding pad to draw in sanding waste from beyond the sanding pad periphery.
Alternatively, the radial channels may be omitted and inner and/or outer annular channels can be fed through openings in a sanding disk. Sanding waste is carried from the annular channels through openings on the sanding pad directly to the suction housing which is enlarged to cover the outermost channel diameter.
The invention also provides a balancing assembly using a pair of balance weights oriented oppositely and spaced from the sanding pad to completely balance eccentric forces without requiring a complicated sanding pad assembly. This arrangement permits the sanding pad to be very large in diameter, greater than 8 inches. In fact, a 16 inch sanding pad has been successfully used in accordance with the invention. Moreover, the throw out, or radius of eccentricity that creates the orbital motion, of the present invention, exceeds 4 mm.
The rotary orbital sander of the present invention is adapted for use with pneumatic or electric tools. It is further suitable for coarse or the finest sanding.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.